Late Morning Coffee

There are moments that stay in the back of your mind long after they happen. Sometimes they are not big failures or dramatic turning points. They are quieter realizations about effort, time, and how we show up in the things we choose to do. This reflection looks at that kind of moment and the simple question it can leave behind. Not as a harsh judgment, but as a way to check in with how we are spending the time we have.

There has been a lot of conversation about what AI might take away from technical work. There has been less discussion about what it might quietly hand back to individuals. This reflection looks at a different possibility: what if small, personal tools become easier to create than to purchase? Not as a grand shift in the economy, but as a practical change in how everyday problems get solved. It considers how expectations around software, ownership, and dependence on large platforms may be changing in subtle ways.

There is a difference between doing something with intention and simply going through the motions. Over time, that difference can determine whether a habit stays energizing or slowly becomes draining. This reflection looks at how small, almost invisible choices shape the way we relate to work, hobbies, and the tools we reach for every day. Sometimes the shift is not about doing more or less, but about pausing long enough to know why you are doing it at all. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Anders_Ericsson

Loyalty sounds simple until you look closely at what it actually asks of you. It can build trust and stability, but it can also drift into habit, assumption, or even imbalance. This reflection considers how loyalty plays out in different parts of life and why it is not always obvious when it is being returned. At the center is a straightforward question: what does loyalty look like in action, and how do you know when it is mutual? https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisKohlerNews https://www.penguin.com.au/books/how-they-get-you-9781761356414

Over time, it becomes clear that not all purchases are equal. Some objects fade quickly, while others quietly earn their place by lasting, working well, and becoming familiar. This reflection sits with that difference and with how habits around buying have shifted across adulthood. It is about noticing what has endured, what has not, and how choosing fewer things with more intention can change the relationship we have with what we own.

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life, questions of power, access, and responsibility are becoming harder to ignore. This reflection considers what makes large technologies feel different once they reach a certain scale, and why oversight often lags behind adoption. Rather than focusing on fear or hype, it sits with a quieter concern: how societies decide what is acceptable when tools become essential, opaque, and controlled by only a few.

Some shows take on a weight that goes far beyond their original premise. This reflection considers what happens when a series becomes a cultural event, and how that pressure shapes the way endings are received. It looks at why finales are so difficult to judge fairly, how hype distorts experience, and why the value of a story is not always tied to how neatly it concludes.

New Year’s resolutions often collapse under their own weight, not because the ideas are bad, but because the framing sets them up to fail. This reflection offers a calmer alternative that treats the new year as a checkpoint rather than a reset button. It centers on noticing what actually happened, what mattered, and what deserves attention next. Less about fixing yourself and more about keeping an honest record, it suggests a way to look back and forward without pressure, guilt, or grand declarations.

Many of the genres that once defined a generation of players have quietly slipped from the spotlight. This reflection considers why some styles of design disappear, what newer formats have carried forward from them, and how familiar ideas continue to resurface in unexpected ways. It also explores the challenge of creating systems that stay fresh without overwhelming the people who play them. At its core, it is a meditation on how games evolve, what we hold onto, and what still feels worth building.

Some of the most interesting ideas in business come from models where everyone involved gains something meaningful. This reflection explores what makes those designs so appealing, from early innovations that balanced value and scale to modern examples that reimagine generosity through the lens of strategy. It is a look at how clever systems can make efficiency and empathy work together. Giving Multiplier: https://givingmultiplier.org/ You Are Not So Smart 327: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2025/11/24/yanss-327-how-save-ourselves-from-ourselves-by-solving-the-trolley-problem-inside-us-all/

Modern advertising has stopped pretending to be subtle. What once aimed to entertain or persuade now simply surrounds, interrupting more moments and demanding more attention than ever. This reflection looks at how the shift from creativity to saturation has changed both the ads and the people watching them, and what it might mean when the noise no longer even tries to earn our interest.

The idea of scale has a way of reshaping how we see the world. What feels careless or confusing at one level can make perfect sense when you zoom out far enough. This reflection explores how size and scope can alter judgment, from everyday decisions to massive systems that shape modern life. Sometimes the only real shift is in how far back you stand.

Simple challenges sometimes leave the strongest impressions. Learning something new, even when it seems trivial, can quietly reshape how we approach effort, patience, and conversation. This reflection looks at how new skills can open unexpected perspectives and how asking the right questions might reveal what others are learning too.

Some expressions spread so easily that their meaning disappears in the process. This reflection looks at one of those phrases, the kind that slips into everyday conversation and says more about how people feel than they intend. It lingers on what happens when humor becomes habit, and what that might reveal about how we think about work, control, and contentment. https://lmc.fm/episode/65/

Small decisions can reveal how we think about progress and discipline. This reflection looks at the shifting layers of logic that appear when we step back from routine, especially when effort meets indulgence. It considers how judgment, patience, and context evolve as our understanding deepens, and what it means to make choices that fit the scale of our goals. Level 0: No connection Level 1: Connect eating to overall look/feel Level 2: It's okay to cheat occasionally Level 3: It's okay to cheat, but it does have an impact Level 4: Does this cheat impact my overall goals Levels of Thinking (Poker): https://www.pokerology.com/lessons/levels-of-thinking/

Sometimes a short phrase can stick in your mind long after it should have faded. This reflection looks at how a few simple sayings can carry surprising weight once you stop to think about them. They raise quiet questions about how we learn, how we listen, and what really changes when we do. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eS7ZY05g71o

A reflection on what happens when something once built on creativity and community begins to lose its sense of balance. The conversation looks at how growth, licensing, and corporate pressure can shift the spirit of a game, and what that change reveals about the line between passion and profit. It is part nostalgia, part frustration, and part question about what gets lost when the focus moves away from the players themselves. Announcement: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/everything-announced-for-magic-the-gathering-in-2026

Effort is often treated as a guarantee of progress, but sometimes pushing harder only makes things more difficult. This reflection considers the moments when letting go works better than grinding ahead, and how results can appear once control is eased. It is a quiet look at the balance between persistence and release, and what can happen when we finally stop forcing the outcome.

There are times when progress feels scattered and effort starts to blur into motion for its own sake. This reflection looks at the value of stepping back to ask a simple question: what is my job right now? It is a way of narrowing focus, recognizing when effort stops being productive, and remembering that rest and clarity often come from doing less, not more. Mentzer: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W8TIAQF-2Qs Nippard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzjWEn2BS_k

The idea of subscribing to life once sounded like a clever way to make things easier. Over time, it has taken on a different meaning. What began as a promise of simplicity has become something closer to surrender, where decisions drift from our hands to the systems around us. This reflection looks at how that shift happened, what it costs, and why even the smallest choices might be worth reclaiming.

Some of the most lasting lessons come from those who give us space to make mistakes. This reflection considers what makes a mentor different from a teacher or a boss, and how those relationships fill gaps that family and friends often cannot. At its core, it is about patience, generosity, and the subtle ways guidance can shape a life long after the lesson is over.

Recent tools have changed what it feels like to build software alongside an AI assistant. The progress is hard to ignore, yet the boundaries of what still needs a human touch remain important. This reflection considers how much has shifted since the early experiments, what continues to hold back full automation, and where the most useful middle ground may now be.

Taking time off from work sounds simple until the financial side makes it feel impossible. This reflection looks at what it means to pause a career with money in mind, from building the right safety nets to understanding the hidden costs that come with not earning for a stretch of time. The focus is less on quick fixes and more on long-term habits that make a break possible without losing peace of mind.

Interests and passions shift over time, sometimes fading into the background only to reappear years later. What once felt central may step aside, while something new takes the focus. Rather than seeing this as losing a piece of ourselves, it can be viewed as a change in what is most visible at a given moment. Identity is rarely fixed, and the stage is always moving. The challenge is recognizing that what steps back is not gone, and what steps forward does not erase what came before.

Multitasking feels like efficiency, but it rarely delivers what it promises. The more we divide attention, the more time and quality slip through the cracks. This reflection looks at why switching between tasks is more costly than it seems, and how the urge to do everything at once can make progress feel slower instead of faster. There may still be times when blending activities makes sense, but treating it as the norm may be the reason nothing ever feels finished.

Every so often I share a few podcast episodes that have stuck with me, and this round brings three very different perspectives. One looks at the gap between intention and action, another reexamines familiar films through the lens of relationship science, and a third offers a thoughtful account of life inside a Christian commune. Each raises questions worth sitting with, whether about motivation, connection, or what counts as meaningful conversation. You Are Not So Smart 318: How to cross the gap between what you intend to do and what you tend to do instead https://youarenotsosmart.com/2025/08/04/yanss-318-how-to-cross-the-gap-between-what-you-intend-to-do-and-what-you-tend-to-do-instead/ Love Factually 32: Top Gun https://lovefactually.substack.com/p/episode-32-top-gun-1986 NPR Sunday Story 9/14/205: Life in a Christian Commune https://www.npr.org/2025/09/14/nx-s1-5539198/kate-riley-life-in-christian-commune LMC 55: Three Episode #1 https://lmc.fm/episode/55/

Two small ideas from mindfulness have lingered in my mind, each offering a different kind of shift. One works through the body, the other through imagination, and both open a space for calm and clarity. They serve as reminders that even modest practices can influence how we see ourselves and how we move through the day. Late Morning Coffee, Episode 26: https://lmc.fm/episode/26/

Scrolling through social media is often described as a way of losing time, but it may be happening in more ways than one. Beyond the hours that disappear into endless feeds, there is also a subtler shift: our sense of sequence is slipping. Platforms that once showed posts in order now serve up a mix from minutes ago, days ago, or even weeks ago, with little distinction. This episode considers what it means to consume the world out of order, and whether losing track of when things happened might change how connected we feel to reality itself.

Labels are tempting because they simplify, but they rarely capture the full picture. Once we accept a description of who we are, it can quietly shape our choices and limit what we attempt. A label repeated often enough can become a story that feels fixed, even when it is not. This episode considers the risk of letting those shortcuts define us, and why leaving space for change may open the door to new abilities, interests, and opportunities.

Hollywood stories, AI debates, and the science of flow all find their way into this wide-ranging conversation with Steven Puri. From what makes Indiana Jones compelling to why social media might be remembered like tobacco, the discussion moves through storytelling, technology, and how we manage our attention. Along the way we explore default and executive brain networks, the role of conflict in creativity, and the importance of stepping back to let new ideas emerge. Reach out to Steven Puri - [email protected] Get a 7-day free trial of his flow state app - https://www.TheSukha.co

Carbohydrates have picked up an undeserved reputation as something to avoid, echoing the way fat was demonized in past decades. This episode looks at how that narrative misses the bigger picture. From fueling harder workouts to supporting recovery, hydration, focus, and even hormone balance, carbs often play a critical role; especially for people who train or simply want consistent energy throughout the day. Rather than treating them as the enemy, it may be worth reconsidering how they fit into a balanced diet.

Moments of inspiration can feel unstoppable, but they rarely last long enough to finish the bigger things we start. This episode looks at the tension between inspired bursts and the slower grind of habit, and what it takes to bridge the two. Is there a way to capture the spark of creative energy and turn it into something that endures? Or should we learn to shape inspiration into smaller, sharper projects while leaving the long arc to discipline? It is a question of energy, timing, and how we finish what we begin. https://lmc.fm/episode/14/

Large language models have changed how developers learn and build, often collapsing the long climb of trial and error into something that looks nearly complete from the start. Yet that shortcut comes with its own tradeoffs. This episode reflects on the difference between steady, incremental progress and the disorienting feeling of landing near the end without knowing how close you actually are. It raises questions about what we gain, what we lose, and whether the missing sense of accomplishment matters as much as the code itself. Episode 25: https://lmc.fm/episode/25/

With music easier to access than ever, something important may have been left behind. This episode reflects on the shift from saving up for a single album to flipping endlessly through playlists, and how that change affects our connection to songs and artists. From the patience of wearing out a CD to the irony of skipping through limitless options, it considers whether music has become less meaningful in the process. Stevie T Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ_zc0flIfQ

This episode builds on the idea of moving goalposts by exploring why they shift in the first place. Through concepts like the hedonic treadmill and arrival fallacy, it looks at how achievements become the new normal and why satisfaction often fades as soon as we reach a milestone. Alongside research and philosophy—from psychology to stoicism to Buddhism—it raises questions about what truly lasts: the external success or the growth we carry forward. Follow up to Episode 58: https://lmc.fm/episode/58/ Research referenced in show: https://lmc.fm/uploads/uploads/Ambition_and_Goal-Setting__Striving_and_Well-Being.pdf

What happens when the end goal finally arrives, or when it never does? This episode reflects on the strange tension between reaching a finish line and watching it move further away. From the grind of mobile games to the ambitions we set for ourselves in work and life, the idea of shifting goalposts raises questions about satisfaction, motivation, and the cost of always chasing more. Consider this a starting point for a larger exploration that continues in the next episode.

I break down the apps and devices that form the backbone of my workout and fitness tracking. My main trio is the Strong app for weightlifting logs, an Apple Watch for activity tracking, and Happy Scale for smoothing out bodyweight trends. I also talk about exporting and compiling years of data into a personal fitness site, why pulling information out matters as much as putting it in, and the challenges of tracking nutrition in a way that’s both detailed and sustainable. If you’re looking for reliable, unobtrusive tools to support long-term training, these have worked for me. https://setvedt.com/fitness/ https://happyscale.com/ https://www.strong.app/ https://www.healthyapps.dev/

If you'd be so kind as to drop me a vote for SXSW 2026, I'd really appreciate it. Voting Link: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1753666145387001b2JL

In this episode, I try—and mostly fail—to explain why my approach to diet and nutrition feels simple but really isn’t. What began as an attempt to share a few practical guidelines turned into a reflection on just how much discipline, structure, and life design sits underneath that simplicity. I talk about daily food choices, invisible guardrails, and the mindset shifts that have slowly become second nature. The takeaway? Execution might be straightforward, but building a life that supports it is anything but. Especially if you're trying to make it sustainable.

Podcast listening can feel strangely personal, almost like building a one-sided relationship over time. In this episode, I share three standout episodes from other shows that stuck with me long after listening. You Are Not So Smart 317: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2025/07/10/yanss-317-how-to-reimagine-the-marketplace-of-ideas-by-changing-how-if-and-when-we-talk-about-politics/ Sunday Story: When News Broke: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/06/1255282261/when-news-broke Reconcilable Differences 262: https://www.relay.fm/rd/262

After hearing a striking study on the You Are Not So Smart podcast, I had to jump in and reflect. The episode explores how even the most rational, mathematically inclined people can twist numbers to support their identity-driven beliefs, often without realizing it. I unpack what that means for critical thinking, why simply informing people rarely works, and how it connects to behavior change, public health campaigns, and personal bias. There’s no tidy conclusion here. Just a set of tough, fascinating questions about how we form our beliefs and how hard we work to keep them intact. You Are Not So Smart 317: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2025/07/10/yanss-317-how-to-reimagine-the-marketplace-of-ideas-by-changing-how-if-and-when-we-talk-about-politics/

In this conversation with agent, psychologist, and coach Albert Bramante, we explore a different take on imposter syndrome: maybe it’s not something to conquer, but something to work with. Albert shares insights from his experience with performing artists; why self-sabotage shows up, how identity can quietly limit growth, and what it really means to "act as if." From reframing limiting beliefs to unpacking perfectionism and procrastination, this episode looks at imposter syndrome not as a flaw to fix, but as a clue to navigate. Albert Bramante: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Above-Script-Confronting-Performing/dp/B0D7X4TY1P/ http://www.bramanteartists.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dralbramante https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertbramante/

James Gunn’s new Superman movie is here, and it delivers something that’s been missing from superhero films for a while: hope. In this episode, I unpack what worked (a charismatic lead, a fun Lex Luthor, and actual optimism) and what didn’t (plot chaos, a maybe-unnecessary Justice Gang, and a few Gunn-isms that either land or don’t). I talk about how this Superman fits into a post-Snyder DC world, how it plays with some clever tropes, and why I think this could be the start of something genuinely fun. It’s not perfect, but it left me wanting more.

This episode explores why resisting the lure of your phone is so difficult and why it’s not just a matter of willpower. With thousands of behavioral scientists designing platforms to keep your attention, the odds are stacked against you. If you’ve ever found yourself reaching for your phone without thinking, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at why that happens and what you might try instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4MInIP2c-A

Fifty episodes might be arbitrary, but it still feels like a good moment to take stock. In this episode, I reflect on what I’ve learned so far, what I hope to do next, and a few follow-up thoughts from past episodes that deserved more airtime. Followup Items: - Ep 38: “Results show” vs. “Results prove” vs. “Results suggest” - https://lmc.fm/episode/38/ - Ep 11: Macrofactor — AI better now? - https://lmc.fm/episode/11/ - Ep 34: Easier each time: form of cognitive offloading - https://lmc.fm/episode/34/ - Ep048 - Also wanted to mention that SWU is MUCH more accessible for kids - https://lmc.fm/episode/48/

What happens when search engines stop being the main way people find things online? I take a near-future look at how platforms like ChatGPT and social media are chipping away at traditional web search, and what that might mean for creators, websites, and the soul of the internet itself. From the heyday of personal blogs to the rise of YouTube as a destination, this is a reflection on what's been lost and what might come back. If you've been sitting on an idea for your own site, this might be the moment you've been waiting for.

After decades of loving Magic: The Gathering and gradually drifting away from it, a new card game finally offered something fresh. This episode reflects on the long arc of collectible card games, the shifting balance between strategy and accessibility, and the unexpected joy of finding a game that feels just right. It is about rediscovering fun in a familiar format and being caught off guard in the best way. https://starwarsunlimited.com/

Momentum is easy to celebrate, but what about the moments in between? This episode looks at the quieter phases of growth and how the urge to always shift forward can blur the value of where you already are. It's a reflection on progress, pace, and the uncomfortable space between ambition and patience.

There is a growing chorus of voices repeating a message that sounds pragmatic on the surface: your job is not your family. It’s meant to clarify expectations, but underneath, it may be doing something else entirely. This episode pushes back on that narrative, exploring how language like this, even when well-intended, contributes to a larger trend of dehumanizing employees. The conversation isn't about clinging to outdated notions of loyalty; it’s about protecting the idea that work can still be a place for connection, collaboration, and something more than quiet isolation. Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adammgrant_one-more-time-a-company-is-not-a-family-activity-7335298263622864897-xflh

Rules of thumb are supposed to set us free from rigid thinking, yet they often become rigid themselves. Whether it is advice from improv classes, leadership seminars, or motivational posters, we are surrounded by maxims that say "never do this" and "always do that." This episode questions that binary approach and looks at what happens when one well-intended rule just replaces another. Sometimes good judgment means knowing when to break your own pattern; not because the rule was wrong, but because context changed.